Latest news with #EmbraceBoston
Boston Globe
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
‘We're up to the test': Ahead of 1965 Freedom Rally anniversary, MLK III offers his own rallying cry
'The strength is in our collective cultures that we need to learn, appreciate, respect, and lift up,' King told the crowd of roughly 50 people gathered in the social club's reading room. 'That's going to make us a better nation, and maybe even a great nation.' Advertisement The panel, moderated by Jeneé Osterheldt, the Globe's deputy managing editor for culture, talent, and development, was the day before the remaking of the 1965 Freedom Rally. Sixty years ago, Dr. King led more than 20,000 people from Roxbury to Boston Common to highlight Boston housing and education inequality. The Saturday march comes as President Trump eliminates federal protections for migrants, queer and transgender communities, and other marginalized groups, and as Martin Luther King III said Saturday's demonstration will be nonviolent, adding that protest movements as a whole today have deviated from the nonviolent tone his parents struck in the activism, one that was informed by 'agape: love that is totally unselfish [and] seeks nothing in return.' Embrace Boston, the nonprofit organizing the weekend march, wants to 'ensure a safe and welcoming gathering space for everyone,' Advertisement King expressed concern about the rise in book bans in schools and libraries across the nation, and the 'dehumanization of immigrants.' By stamping out different perspectives and ethnic groups, King said, 'we've lost our humanity.' The panelists acknowledged that, 60 years later, the outcomes the King family were fighting against still exist in Boston and beyond. Related : 'We should be far beyond where we are,' King said. He added: 'If we don't address that, our society is doomed.' Paris Jeffries said the forthcoming rally had two purposes: to commemorate the event's history, and apply its lessons to today. He said the 60th anniversary is at a time when the country is watching the 'dismantling' of the 'We need to ensure that we celebrate this moment,' Paris Jeffries said. Also, 'the '65 march is a part of the continuous revolution that we've been going through.' In another effort to spotlight underrepresented voices, Paris Jeffries pointed to Related : Advertisement A part of a more encompassing history, Paris Jeffries said, is also uplifting the Kings' lasting legacy in Boston. 'Because they mean so much to us,' he told Martin Luther King III. 'You mean so much to us.' 'The Kennedys are one of the royal families that come from Boston, and the Kings are the other,' Paris Jeffries said. Whether it is protecting marginalized history from erasure, crafting a 'responsible immigration process,' or eliminating racial wealth disparities, King acknowledged 'we have a monumental number of issues that we as a society have to address.' 'But guess what? We're up to the test,' King said. Because, he said, there is nothing that we as a society can't resolve together. The re-creation of the march begins at Trinity Church in Copley Square and ends with a rally at the Parkman Bandstand at noon. Speakers include King, Mayor Michelle Wu, and Representative Ayanna Pressley. Tiana Woodard can be reached at
Boston Globe
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
In re-creation of famous 1965 march, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s family prepares to once again ‘embrace' Boston
Advertisement 'Boston obviously holds a special place in my heart,' King III told me a few days ago. 'Because their love story began there.' Obviously the re-creation - don't call it a reenactment - comes at another fertile moment for social protest. Spearheaded by Embrace Boston, in collaboration with a large coalition of social justice organizations, the march Saturday will protest the ongoing attacks by the Trump administration on diversity, equity, and inclusion. 'In the midst of the world on fire and the shaking of the foundations of democracy, nothing speaks to MLK's legacy like peaceful marching and assembly in honor of democracy, justice and community,' said Imari Paris Jeffries, president and CEO of Embrace Boston. Martin Luther King lll (center) and his wife, Arndrea get an up close look at The Embrace during the dedication in 2023. John Tlumacki/Globe Staff Embrace Boston and the other groups sponsoring the march are part of Advertisement 'Boston is one of the OG American cities - along with New York and Philadelphia - that have a right to tell the American story,' Paris Jeffries said. 'And the more expansive we can tell the story, the more we can model what it's like to not lose our colonial history while telling a more holistic history.' King's trip to Boston 60 years ago came at a pivotal moment, both for his movement and for Boston. The passage of major civil rights legislation had led King to expand the map of his efforts, so to speak, as he began to grapple with racial and economic ills beyond the South. Meanwhile, in Boston, anger and frustration at the city's segregated and unequal schools had begun to coalesce into a serious movement. King's trip to Boston helped rally support for the legal efforts that would eventually culminate in court-ordered segregation in 1974. Lew Finfer, a longtime civic activist and historian of the school desegregation, said King's trip gave crucial support to the battles already being waged by local heroes like Ruth Batson, Paul Parks, and Mel King. 'It was a big shot in the arm to have 25,000 people marching around a shared agenda,' Finfer said. Both Paris Jeffries and King III noted that the issues that consumed Rev. King in the last years of his too-short life are present today. Economic inequality, racial and gender equity, and America's role in the world are all hot-button topics right now. Even if they are framed somewhat differently, none of them feel historical right now. Advertisement 'I'm glad to be coming to Boston,' King said. 'But the sad part is that it isn't for a celebration.' Paris Jeffries said the march will be a chance for many people looking for a way to protest to get connected to like-minded people and organizations. The hope is that it will contribute to a critical mass of activism. Though the initial controversy following the installation of 'The Embrace' has dissipated, I couldn't resist asking King how he feels about the sculpture.' Not only is he fond of it as a piece of art, but he said it's also meaningful for its location, and what it represents. 'I believe that it captures the essence of what the artist was attempting to do, in showing, you know, a love story,' King said. 'In Boston Common, the oldest park in the nation, there's a symbol of love, of respect, of justice, which is this memorial dedicated to my father and mother and what they represented in our nation and world.' Adrian Walker is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at
Axios
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Boston to march again on Freedom Rally's 60th anniversary
Protesters will fill the streets from Roxbury to Boston Common on Saturday, just as they did 60 years ago Wednesday, when Martin Luther King Jr. led a march against racial disparities in housing and schools. Why it matters: Boston has made strides in reducing racial and ethnic inequalities, but attendees say the region faces new threats, including the Trump administration's crackdown on diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Driving the news: The nonprofit Embrace Boston is leading a march along the same route as the 1965 Freedom Rally. Martin Luther King III will speak, along with Mayor Michelle Wu, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley and the Rev. Willie Bodrick. Flashback: Thousands walked from Carter playground to the common's bandstand in 1965. A day earlier, King had called on state lawmakers to address the "racial imbalance" that persisted years after school segregation was ruled unconstitutional. "It would be demagogic and dishonest to say Boston is a Birmingham or to equate Massachusetts with Mississippi," King said on the common. "But it would be morally irresponsible to remain blind to the threat to liberty, to the denial of opportunity and the crippling poverty that we face in some sections of this community." What they're saying: Wayne Lucas, a ninth grader at Carver junior high in 1965, joined a group of Black classmates to march and hear King speak. He remembers the dilapidated textbooks and lack of resources his school offered compared with those of majority-white schools, and how the Freedom House stepped in to offer Black students college-preparation resources. Sixty years later, Lucas says, he's marching to protest threats to American democracy 250 years after the American Revolution started and the Trump administration's efforts to kill DEI and other policies supporting racial and ethnic minorities. Lucas says he's seen the Trump administration embolden racists since white nationalists protested in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017. A month ago, he says he was getting ready to referee a lacrosse game in Brookline when a white man walked past him and said, "Go back to where you came from." Zoom out: Massachusetts Republicans have welcomed President Trump's sweeping changes, arguing the state has spent too much in taxpayer dollars to shelter migrants and support DEI initiatives. Some also have expressed support for slimming down the federal workforce, despite the loss of safety net programs, health research and other resources that federal grants and federal workers in New England provided.
Axios
27-02-2025
- Business
- Axios
Black Boston in 2050: A commercial hub re-emerges
The year is 2050. The center of Boston is bustling with arts venues, restaurants with late-night menus and college students. This isn't downtown, but the city's geographical center and the face of Black Boston: Nubian Square. Why it matters: The Roxbury neighborhood is in the throes of major redevelopment, and business leaders envision a future that bolsters the local economy while preserving the area's culture and diversity. Between the lines: Boston's Black mecca has survived urban renewal, riots sparked by racism, decades of disinvestment and the COVID-19 pandemic. Barring any freak accident that decimates the neighborhood, Nubian Square is poised to live on and thrive into 2050, local business leaders and residents say. What's less certain is how climate change, traffic and gentrification will shape the majority-Black neighborhood. State of play: Developers, business leaders and advocates are transforming Nubian Square, planting the seeds for a prosperous city center, from upcoming developments with artist housing and college classrooms to new liquor licenses and creative spaces. Fast-forward to 2050: Nubian Square is home to small businesses, arts venues and nightlife, while local colleges churn out climate and tech workers, says Nicole Obi, president and CEO of the Black Economic Council of Massachusetts. 🚌 Transportation: The neighborhood's traffic may persist if people keep relying on cars, but Imari Paris Jeffries, executive director of Embrace Boston, envisions a transportation hub powered by electric buses and more walkable streets. Ciyadh Wells, executive director of the Black arts organization Castle of Our Skins, sees Nubian Square being less walkable due to traffic. "Unfortunately, I think this area will always be transportation-challenged," Wells, a Roxbury resident, tells Axios. 👨🏾🔬 Workforce: If successful, the neighborhood's colleges will be producing top talent for the climate, biotech and tech sectors, Obi predicts. And everyone from entrepreneurs to politicians will be applying AI in their work. 🎵 Culture and nightlife: Picture an 18-hour scene with restaurants, musical performances and events for all ages. For Nubian Square to re-emerge as a commercial center, it must be a place where locals live, work and play from the morning to late at night, Obi says. Wells envisions a neighborhood where artists, business owners and residents pay homage to its past and celebrate who they are, be it through the library, her Black arts organization Castle of Our Skins or other venues. 🛍️ Commerce: Nubian Square is poised to draw shoppers and locals in 2050 like it did in the days of Nubian Notion and the music venue Roscoe's, historian Dart Adams predicts. Back in the 20th century, the demolition of the elevated train and efforts to focus commerce in Downtown Crossing dealt a blow to then-Dudley Square. Adams foresees the neighborhood fulfilling the vision that leaders had for downtown. Yes, but: One of the biggest challenges facing Roxbury ahead of 2050 is thriving while maintaining the fabric of its racially and ethnically diverse community. City after city have seen neighborhoods revitalized only for residents who spent generations there to get priced out, from Brooklyn to Boston's South End. A 2020 study on displacement suggests that gentrification disproportionally affects Black residents, pushing them outside their neighborhoods — and sometimes outside of their cities altogether — and into disadvantaged areas. 🏘️ Housing: The Nubian Square of 2050 has more residents — a mix of homeowners and renters in market-rate and affordable apartments, says Jeffries. Both Obi and Jeffries expressed concerns about gentrification, but say a variety of homeownership and affordable housing options — as well as investment in and collaboration with local businesses — can ensure the neighborhood's longtime residents don't get pushed out by 2050. Zoom out: Roxbury residents will also have to contend with changes to American society in the 21st century, which could affect housing conditions. The nation will continue to see the effects of climate change, with parts of Roxbury, Dorchester and Mattapan likely experiencing more extreme heat and flooding. The country's racial wealth gaps are projected to worsen by then, with Black Americans' wealth dropping to zero by 2053, per a report by Prosperity Now and the Institute for Policy Studies. The stakes may be particularly high in Boston, which in 2021 had one of the largest racial homeownership gaps in the nation. Yes, but: Despite the hurdles ahead, Roxbury residents and community leaders envision Nubian Square as a paragon of Black cultural and financial success well into the 21st century.
